Matrox MXO #%$!!@*&^$!!

Hi,
Is there some secret to making this m***** f***** user friendly with a Macbook Pro? Is there some epiphany I'm yet to experience or is it like learning your first windows computer?

I mostly want to know if it's worth the headaches for on-the-road editing.

What exactly is the problem? Since very few issues with the MXO come up on this forum it might be best to contact Matrox support and see what they say.

Michael Horton
-------------------

"Matrox MXO #%$!!@*&^$!!"
The "$$" part i understand, money away out of your pocket...
Have you tryed to format the drive with the OSX file format?

Rui Barros
Editor Colorist Trainer
Lisbon, Portugal
RTP Post-Production
Apple Certified Trainer FCP 7
Apple Certified Pro FCP 7

Hi Mike,
The problem with that is, we are demo'ing this unit so we are not entitled to Matrox support since we are not yet the owner. So far I've had to try to get the Apple reseller to mediate but it is a huge waste of time.

I mostly work on XDCam HD in PAL and FTP finished stories from far and wide. Occasionally, I will have to feed the package via sat truck so I have to do standard-convert and then down-convert for feeding. I rarely know in advance which method will be used so I end up working with all sorts of converted stuff (most file footage is 4:3 NTSC) in the same project.

As for the Matrox, I'm yet to get it to reliably display 1080i50 with no curveballs. I can imagine
how tough it will be when I add in some file footage. So I was wondering IF there will come a point where using this thing will seem like a cakewalk or whether it will always be difficult?

I don't personally know anyone who has used one. I was hoping maybe someone here had one and found it masterable.

Rui Barros Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Matrox MXO #%$!!@*&^$!!"
> The "$$" part i understand, money away out of your
> pocket...
> Have you tryed to format the drive with the OSX
> file format?

Rui,
It's allegedly a device for displaying full res video from your FCP timeline, it's not a drive.

I do know everything needs to match or issues will arise. Might post over on the Matrox froum at Creative Cow.

[forums.creativecow.net]

Let us know if you resolve this.

Michael Horton
-------------------

Creative Cow? Hmm, how could I say no to that? Thanks.

Can you please tell us what is happening? What are you trying to do that isn't working? If you can do that, maybe we can help you.

Simply saying it doesn't work tells us nothing.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Hi Shane.
Working on an XDCam HD 50i timeline, MXO system prefs mastering mode to "convert HD video to SD". Then in view>video playback set to Matrox 1080i50. Nothing. I've tried all the outputs to the monitor. It actually worked for a little while once, then nothing.

are we sure the mxo is compatable with the xdcam to begin with?

wayne granzin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> are we sure the mxo is compatable with the xdcam
> to begin with?

No, but once it's in, XDCam HD is the same as HDV and the website says it works on HDV. Like I said, I can't get actual Matrox tech support because I don't own it. Frustrating.

I have contacted Matrox, linked to this thread and am awaiting a reply. I know their product manager.

I see nothing on the site about XDCAM support, so Wayne might have hit it. And no, XDCAM is not the same as HDV...not exactly. Both MPEG-2, but different flavors. That flavor difference might be the key.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Tim,

Sorry about the confusion, i've been working non-stop since 4h30 a.m. and my eyes are not so well has they so be.
I know that Matrox regards to graphics cards and when i read the post it looked has Maxtor , Hard drives.
Once again, sorry for the mistake, i was only trying to help.

Rui Barros
Editor Colorist Trainer
Lisbon, Portugal
RTP Post-Production
Apple Certified Trainer FCP 7
Apple Certified Pro FCP 7

IMHO,

I'm not surprised to see problems with the MXO box. Since Matrox discontinued supporting Mac users who bought their RTMac card, I don't trust them and I would not buy a thing from them.

> I know that Matrox regards to graphics cards and when i read the post it looked has Maxtor

Perfect anagram! I don't blame ya, Rui. |}


www.derekmok.com

The big problem with the MXO is that they haven't communicated very well what it actually does. I talked with the PM at Macworld for 20 minutes after Shane went nuts telling me to do so. After his demo I was completely sold.

Matrox does have a struggle luring back Mac users after the RT Mac debacle, but the MXO does deserve a close look. But they MUST do a better job communicating with us the features of this little box. If one has to decipher a products brochure then perhaps they need a re-write.

Michael Horton
-------------------

im watching their flash demo and they do list xdcam... so there goes that suggestion...

OK...I will quote you what I received in e-mail from the Product Manager:

"Timeline needs to be set to codec and resolution you are about to edit.
Playback, apple cinema mode is also set to timeline settings.

The down-conversion, is available in the MXO Preference Pane of the
System Preferences."

AND concerning what formats it works with:

"Codec independent, resolution dependent, right now, 1080i, NTSC, PAL,
and 720p

What I know for sure and played with; and ship easy presets with off the
top of my head.


DV
DVCam
HDV
XDcam
XDCam HD
P2
DVCPro
DVCPro 50
DVCPro HD


If a preset does not show up, and we support that resolution, then they
can create a preset of their own."

And this from the Product Specialist:

"It should work. I just tried it. I don't have any XDCAM clips so I just
use the generator in FCP to generate colour bars and a crawl. Rendered
the sequence then chose the MXO 1080 25 output. I tried both the
1920x1080 and 1440x1080 outputs and they both worked.

Shane have him try using the generator to try just colour bars. If that
works then it's something with him footage. If that doesn't work he
could try reinstalling...make sure he has the 1.01.03 drivers."

If you still have issues, send me a private message and I'll get you in touch with the Project Specialist on the phone.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Quote

we are demo'ing this unit so we are not entitled to Matrox support since we are not yet the owner

Well that's just $@#&% silly If you are "demoing" it with the intention on buying it, why wouldn't you get tech support? Who did you get it from?

FWIW...I was caught up in that Matrox RTMac / OS X nightmare andas far as I'm concerned, Matrox can go scratch. They'll never get another dime from me.

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

I agree with grafixjoe I also was snagged and drowned by the RTMac card and would not get involved with Matrox again.

Derek

i had an RTMac.
it was great.
in fact the RT quality it gave has yet to be matched in FCP.
at the time i felt the need to move on to OSX, and FCP3.
the new OfflineRT codec and the software RT FCP was offering was good for me at the time, even though it wasn't a patch on what the RTMac had to offer, quality wise.
if i;ld been working on a different project, i would have stayed on OS9 and the RTMac.
but it wasn't to be.
pitty, but i couldn't really hold it against Matrox.
they'd been done over by apple and were left holding the bag.
(apple were moving to get RT into FCP itself, wouldn't share the constantly changing OSX code with Matrox, and pretty much abandoned them.
at the time Matrox couldn't talk about this due to contractual reasons
or so the story goes...)

i hope they're reading this, though, and lift they're game communications-wise

maybe Mike, an XMO demo at a lafcpug meeting would be a good idea?


nick

***
Well that's just $@#&% silly If you are "demoing" it with the intention on buying it, why wouldn't you get tech support? Who did you get it from?
***

Good question. I could see working that way with software but with hardware, it's not like you could have illegally installed it on your friends machine. There's only the one.

So I'm gonna take it with me to Iowa and then the Super Bowl (a week in Miami... YES!). I'll let you all know how it goes. This job seems like beta-testing one contraption after another.

Tim,
I was wondering where you got the MXO for evaluation? If it was from a dealer they should provide you with support and if they don't or can't help we will do it.

I'm curious, did someone loan you the unit and tell you that you have no ability to receive support?


cheers,

Joe



Joe Trepanier
Product Specialist
Matrox Video Products Group